Travelling with us. Passenger s Charter. Contents. Page No. Introduction 2. How to find out information 2. Online and by phone 2.

Transcription

1 Contents Passenger s Charter From January 2009 Page No. Introduction 2 How to find out information 2 Online and by phone 2 In person 3 Tickets 4 Buying online 4 Buying by telephone 4 Buying in person 4 Discounted tickets 5 Oyster cards 5 Ticket refunds 6 Penalty fares 6 Train punctuality and reliability 7 Useful information 7 Accessibilty assistance 7 Bikes on trains 8 Catering 9 Lost property 9 Travelling with us Our trains 10 Our staff 10 If your train is late 11 Season Ticket renewal discounts 12 General information and other help 13 Getting in touch with us 14

2 Introduction Chiltern Railways is committed to providing a safe, reliable, welcoming and value for money service all day, every day. In producing this charter, we set out to explain: The minimum standards we expect to achieve How we ll compensate you if things go wrong How we ll tell you about our performance How you can contact us with your suggestions or concerns. How to find out information Online and by phone Who Web Phone Chiltern Railways National Rail Enquiries Transport Direct (0700 to 2000) ( ) (24 hours) (0800 to 2000) 2

3 In person Free copies of our current timetable are available at all the staffed stations we serve. Timetable posters are also displayed at all stations. We will inform you at least seven days in advance of any disruption or timetable changes caused by non-emergency engineering works, or for any other reasons. When we introduce a new timetable, we will have details of it available at staffed stations and on our website at least four weeks before it starts. Each staffed station displays a poster showing the opening hours of the ticket office and other useful information. Security attendants already patrol car parks and station platforms at most of our stations from early until late (waiting rooms are kept open until 2300), making our stations a safer place to be. The following stations are not normally staffed: Bearley Blakedown Claverdon Denham Golf Club Hatton Kings Sutton Lapworth Little Kimble Monks Risborough Wembley Stadium Saunderton Wilmcote Sudbury Hill Harrow Sudbury & Harrow Road 3

4 Tickets Buying online An online service is available on our website, Tickets can usually be collected from the self-service FastTicket machines at our stations. Buying by telephone Please call (every day 0700 to 2000). Tickets will be sent out by 1st class post or can be collected from any of ticket offices or self-service ticket machines. Buying in person Self-service FastTicket machines are available at most of our stations. These offer a quick and easy way of buying most tickets with cash or a card, without having to queue at the ticket office. Ticket Office Hours information is displayed at stations and on our website, Our ticket offices offer a full range of National Rail tickets. We ll monitor queuing times at our ticket offices and publish the times of peak demand at the station. Our aim is that usually you shouldn t have to wait for more than three minutes before being served, and no more than five minutes at peak times. 4

5 Discounted tickets We offer a great range of discounted tickets. These can only be used at certain times of the day or on certain specific services. If you try to use a discounted ticket outside of these times, your ticket will be invalid. Tickets can generally be used on all train companies, but some discounted tickets may only be used on one specific train company. It is your responsibility to check before travel railway staff will be happy to assist. You may be liable for a Penalty Fare in these circumstances, so please ask before travelling. Oyster cards Oyster Pay As You Go can only be used between London Marylebone and Amersham (and intermediate stations) plus between London Marylebone and West Ruislip (and intermediate stations). Oyster Pay As You Go is a really convenient way to travel around London. Oyster Pay As You Go can not be used in combination with any paper ticket. You will be charged both an entry and exit charge. Be sure to touch in and out; if you don t touch in at the beginning of and out at the end of your journey you will be charged the highest possible fare and this won t count towards the Oyster Price Cap. Make sure that you have enough pre-pay credit to cover the cost of your journey. If you don t have enough pre pay credit cover the cost of your journey, you may be charged a Penalty Fare. Equally even if you have already reached your daily Oyster Cap, it s still necessary to tap in and out, or you may be liable for a Penalty Fare or prosecution. Oyster Season Tickets (or Travelcards) can be used within the appropriate London Fares Zones. 5

6 Ticket refunds Refunds are generally available if you choose not to travel, but there is an administration fee for claims. However we won t charge you that fee if you claim more than 24 hours before the ticket becomes valid for travel, or on a refund where the reason for cancellation was a rail industry problem (e.g. overrun engineering works). Ticket Type Refund Allowed?* Admin Fee Season Ticket Yes 10 Anytime Ticket Yes 5 Off Peak Ticket Yes 5 Super Off Peak Ticket Yes 5 Advance Ticket No NIL * Refunds are only available for claims made within 28 days of the date of travel. Penalty fares When travelling with Chiltern Railways you must carry a valid ticket (and valid Railcard if appropriate) for your entire journey, or have a Permit to Travel if there is no way at all of buying a ticket at the station. If a station doesn t have a ticket office, or the ticket office is closed, a ticket should be purchased from the self-service ticket machine(s) on the station. If the ticket you require isn t available from the self-service ticket machine(s), then a Permit to Travel should be purchased from the machine on the station. In the rare cases where this is not available, you must notify our staff and buy a ticket at the first opportunity during the journey. Failure to buy a valid ticket for your entire journey may leave you liable to pay a Penalty Fare. This will be 20 or twice the appropriate full single fare to the next station stop, whichever is the greater. 6

7 Train punctuality and reliability Chiltern Railways have a commitment to run punctual and reliable trains (a train is counted as punctual if it arrives within five minutes of its scheduled time). Our latest performance figures are as follows: Average for year ending: Peak Punctuality Standard we aim for Peak Punctuality level we achieved PPM* January % 91.88% 91.90% January % 93.53% 93.96% January % 95.61% 94.37% January % 95.87% 95.27% * Public Performance Measure (All trains, seven days a week, combined reliability & punctuality achieved). Peak refers to trains arriving in London, Mondays to Fridays between 0700 and 1000 and departing from London, Mondays to Fridays between 1600 and Our reliability standard (percentage of scheduled trains that run) is 99 trains out of 100. We display posters, which show how our performance compared to our standards, at Aylesbury, Banbury, Birmingham Moor Street, Leamington Spa, High Wycombe and London Marylebone stations. These are updated every four weeks. We also show performance information on our website. Useful information Accessibility assistance If you need a bit of help, give us more than 24 hours notice and we can make arrangements to assist you (Monday to Friday, 0700 to 2000) textphone. 7

8 If you don t book we will try our best to help, but can t guarantee that assistance will be conveniently available. Please speak with station staff or use the Help Point. There are at least two designated car parking spaces available for blue badge holders at all of our managed station car parks, and parking in these spaces is free (for more information see the Disabled Travellers section of our website, Details of the accessibility of each station are set out in the appendix of our Disabled People s Protection Policy. Copies are available from our Customer Services team on (Mondays to Fridays, 0830 to 1730) and on our website We also produce a handy pocket guide with this information. If you can t use your intended station we will arrange alternative transport (such as a taxi) at no extra cost to, or from, the nearest suitable accessible station in your direction of travel. Passengers with hearing difficulties may wish to inquire about train times and fares using the textphone service provided by National Rail Enquiries (Textphone (daily 0800 to 2000). Bikes on trains On Mondays to Fridays we re unable to convey cycles on our busiest trains. These are trains arriving at London Marylebone or Birmingham Snow Hill between 0745 and 1000 and trains departing London Marylebone or Birmingham Snow Hill between 1630 and These restrictions apply even if you re only travelling for part of the journey. 8

9 Tandems are not carried at any time on Chiltern Railways. There are no restrictions on folding bikes. Bikes are not allowed on rail replacement buses. Catering An at-seat trolley catering service is provided on our busiest morning trains between the West Midlands and London. These are shown in our timetables. If we re unable to providing the scheduled catering for you we ll tell you, wherever possible, before you board the train. Lost Property If we find any item of lost property, we ll always do our best to contact the owner if they can be identified. Items can be collected from London Marylebone up to three months after they ve been handed in we charge a collection fee to cover our administration costs. If you lose something on one of our trains or stations you can report it by: Using the online form on our website. Using a Lost Property form available at any Chiltern. Railways ticket office, and returning it to a member of Chiltern Railways Staff. By phone, fax or post using the contact details below Phone: Fax: Write to: Chiltern Railways Lost Property, Marylebone Station, London NW1 6JJ 9

10 Lost Property Office Operating Hours: Mondays to Fridays 1200 to Please allow up to two weeks for processing lost items. If you do not hear from us in that period, you should assume the item has not been found. Our trains We aim to clean all our trains at least once every two days, inside and out. Additionally we try to ensure that every train that leaves London Marylebone is cleared of litter and cleaned before the start of its journey. We aim to keep our carriages tidy, free from litter and well lit with toilets that work. For your comfort, all of our services are non-smoking. Furthermore, one carriage on each of our Clubman trains is designated as a Quiet Coach. Stickers on the windows identify this carriage. Our new and refurbished trains are equipped to carry wheelchairs. Stickers on the doors identify this part of the train. Our staff Our staff at stations and on trains will be pleased to assist you with any aspect of your journey. We expect all our staff to be: Smartly dressed, easily recognisable and wearing name badges. On hand to assist you particularly if services are disrupted. Courteous, helpful and willing to deal with your problems. Our two teams of North and South Customer Service Managers are on hand from early to late seven days a week. They work alongside our North and South Regional Managers with the local community to make your local station a welcoming, comfortable and safe place. 10

11 If your train is late Compensation arrangements vary between different train companies, even for the same journey. If you are delayed the responsibility for compensation rests with whichever train company you were travelling with at the time. If you are delayed aboard a Chiltern Railways train, and claim within 28 days of the date of travel, our compensation policy is: Length of Delay Refund How More than one hour 30 minutes or more but less than an hour Less than 30 minutes Complete refund for the journey affected* 50% refund for the journey affected*. Please accept our apologies, but no refund is due Voucher. Or if more than 30 a cheque if you prefer Voucher. Or if more than 30 a cheque if you prefer N/A * Vouchers may be exchanged, or used in part payment for tickets on any rail journey on the National Rail network. For Season Ticket Holders the amount refunded will be based on the Anytime Single Fare. 11

12 Season Ticket renewal discounts If you hold a monthly or longer period Season Ticket, in addition to the event based compensation described above, if peak punctuality is on average lower than 90% or reliability is lower than 99% over the previous 12 months, we ll give you a 5% discount on renewal of your ticket. If we fail to meet both of these standards, the discount will be 10%. To receive the discount you must buy a new ticket within four weeks of expiry of the old one and it must be for the same journey and for the same or a shorter period. Unfortunately Season Ticket Renewal discounts don t apply for Season Tickets travelling to/from stations Amersham to London (passengers on that route have ticket interavailability with London Underground, and are covered for refund purposes by their Customer Charter). 12

13 General information and other help We have a commitment to plan services and allocate carriages to best avoid overcrowding. Even during our busiest times, we aim to ensure that nobody should have to stand for more than 20 minutes. If delays occur we ll get you to your destination as soon as possible. If you miss your last train because of a delay to one of our services we ll arrange onward transport, either by road or with another Train Operating Company. On all trains with catering facilities you will be offered complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments if your train is delayed by one hour or more. If the train you planned to catch is delayed or cancelled, you decide not to travel and, at that time, return your unused ticket to any ticket office we will, if possible, give you an immediate full refund. No administration fee will be charged. Claims for consequential loss(es) can only be considered under the terms of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage (see page 10 of that document). We are not able to consider any compensation claims which arise due to circumstances outside of our control. These include terrorism, crime and weather. The National Rail Conditions of Carriage outline the legal rights of passengers and train operators legal obligations to them. If you d like a free copy please ask at any staffed Chiltern Railways station or visit 13

14 to Worcester & Malvern + Kidderminster B Blakedown Hagley Stourbridge Junction Lye Stourbridge Town Cradley Heath Old Hill Rowley Regis Langley Green Smethwick Galton Bridge The Hawthorns Birmingham New Street P1ndar staffed station unstaffed station 10 mins walk Stratford-upon-Avon Jewellery Quarter Birmingham Snow Hill Wilmcote regular Chiltern Railways service occasional Chiltern Railways service connecting rail service - London Midland connecting rail service - Cross Country connecting rail service - Metropolitan Line Birmingham Moor Street Small Heath Tyseley London Underground station interchange Midland Metro station interchange PLUSBUS through bus/rail ticketing available Dedicated bus links: Princes Risborough to Chinnor Bicester Taxibus Acocks Green Olton Solihull Claverdon Bearley NB: Oyster Pay As You Go is only valid within London Travelcard Zones 1 to 9 see Onward Travel leaflet for details of bus links to and from all our stations Widney Manor Dorridge Lapworth Hatton ZONE 5 ZONE 4 ZONE 3 ZONE 2 ZONE 1 ZONE 2 ZONE 3 ZONE 4 ZONE 5 Warwick Parkway for Warwick Castle & town centre Warwick Leamington Spa Banbury Kings Sutton Oxford to Reading South Coast n network ZONES LONDON TRAVELCARD ZONES ZONE 6 ZONE 5 ZONE 4 ZONE 3 ZONE 2 ZONE 1 Bicester North for Bicester Village Haddenham & Thame Parkway Princes Risborough Saunderton route network to Coventry Birmingham International Birmingham New Street North of England Scotland Little Kimble Monks Risborough High Wycombe Beaconsfield Seer Green & Jordans Gerrards Cross Denham Golf Club Denham West Ruislip London Paddington Aylesbury Vale Parkway Aylesbury for Stoke Mandeville Hospital Stoke Mandeville Wendover Great Missenden Amersham South Ruislip Chalfont & Latimer Chorleywood Rickmansworth Northolt Park Sudbury Hill Harrow Sudbury & Harrow Road Wembley Stadium for National Stadium & Arena Chesham London Marylebone LONDON TRAVELCARD ZONES Harrow-on -the-hill Baker Street 5 mins walk Getting in touch with us How to provide feedback Chiltern Railways Customer Services, Banbury ICC, Merton Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 4RN Tel: (Customer Services: Mondays to Fridays, 0830 to 1730, Information & Sales: seven days, 0700 to 2000) Fax: Not all of the stations we call at are run by Chiltern Railways. If the matter concerns one of the stations below, you should contact the relevant Train Company. Stations between Dorridge and Kidderminster (except Birmingham Moor St), plus between Claverdon and Stratfordupon-Avon are run by London Midland, Customer Relations, PO Box 4323, Birmingham, B2 4JB ( Stations between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham; plus the ticket offices at South Ruislip and West Ruislip are run by London Underground, Customer Service Centre, 55 Broadway, London, SW1H 0BD ( If you are not happy with our response We ll do our best to resolve any problem, but if you are unhappy with our response you can write to your statutory consumer body, who will take up your complaint where they believe it is appropriate: for stations between London and Bicester North or Aylesbury Vale Parkway: London Travel Watch 6 Middle Street, London EC1A 7JA Tel: enquiries@londontravelwatch.org.uk for Kings Sutton and stations north: Passenger Focus Freepost, PO Box 4257, Manchester M60 3AR Tel: or (for the hearing impaired) hello@passengerfocus.org.uk 14